Wake up call
by 99 CDN
Summary: An alternate ending to Reveil. When Kate ends up in the hospital after Ari kidnapped her will that event give Gibbs a wake up call? R&R plzzz
1. The truth

Disclaimer: My point of view to an alternative ending to 'Reveille'

Spoiler: Reveille

Chap 1

Kate looked in his eyes the minute after he shot Marta through the head and racked through her head the reason why she didn't stab him when she had the chance. Whatever she had seen it them before was she as hell gone now, all she saw was hatred, malice and cruelty.

"Now Caitlin, why don't you tell me the difference between Marine One and the other 2 helos." He said as he stroked the nozzle of her Sauer.

Kate sighed again and pinched her nose in impatience.

"Like I told her when she flagged my gun in my face, there-is-no-difference!" She exclaimed as she stood up enraged.

She was enraged she had let him toy with her, enraged at the fact he blew Gerald's shoulder, and now he dared test her on her knowledge and give up the Secret Service training, even though there was no way to tell the difference weither or not he waved her Sauer in her face or not.

Ari shot up as well and pointed her gun in her face, inches away from her face and pulled back the trigger a little until she heard a click as the bullet entered the chamber.

She didn't flinch but ceased her movements, and stared at him through slits.

"Please Caitlin, sit down have some wine, I don't like drinking alone." He said politely.

Kate grinded her teeth and stiffly sat down in front of him again. She sighed and picked up her glass and brought it up to her lips and wetted them with the dry liquid.

"Awe Caitlin you don't like wine?" He whined a little and took a sip still playing with her Sauer trigger.

"Not my kind of grape." She said as she pushed the goblet away. It hit a crack and tipped over the glass.

Ari's eyes flashed for a second to the spill and smiled when he looked back up to be met with Kate's Walter PPK.

Ari chuckled amused as she glared at him her PPK inches from his forehead.

"Since when does NCIS issue Walters?" He said his voice a delicate hint of a British accent.

Kate didn't say anything but merely glared at him.

He held his hands up and gently dropped her gun.

"What now?" He asked as he leaned back a little, his back against the tree.

"_I need you to profile a terrorist for me."_

"_A terrorist, which one?"_

"_The one you couldn't stab."_

"_Ahh Ducky told you that?"_

"_Why?"_

"_You want to now why…his eyes…they were, they were kind."_

"_Really, was he kind when he shot out Gerald's arm?"_

"_You asked me!"_

"_When you see him again remember that!"_

She snapped out of her reverie when Ari chuckled.

"Why did you join the Secret Service?" He asked as he joined his hands in the back of his head.

She was about to respond when he answered for her.

"Was it a year after you went to college to become a lawyer or was it after your father started to drink again?" He mocked chucking lightly at her facial expression.

"And when you quit the Secret Service and joined NCIS was it when your boyfriend died or was it when your father started to beat your mother?" She squinted further and her eyes began to tear.

"You will stop now." She seethed through clenched teeth.

"Oh but we're just coming to the good part. I researched the meaning why you wanted to become a lawyer, because you wanted to rid the world of all the fathers and men who abused their children and their wives, and their girlfriends did you?" She choked out a gasp and the tears started to role down her face.

"It must have been horrible, growing up to become a beautiful young woman only to be abused over and over again by one of the men you grew to trust. Your brothers never believed you, until they caught your father raping you." She yelled in frustration and pulled back the trigger.

The boom it caused her to blink away her tears. She stood there gun still drawn, and her looking down at Ari's face. A bleeding red dot was the only imperfection on his face. His body was slumped halfway between the picnic table and the big oak tree. She looked back at his face and lowered her PPM to her holster. He had a smile on her face. _Why was he smiling? _

She whipped at her cheeks in anger and stopped when she could hear a faint beeping from somewhere she couldn't see.

She didn't need to think twice. _Bastard!_ She thought as she took off for the clearing.

When she about 50 ft away from the table the bomb went off; the force of it knocking Kate off her feet and throwing her another 20 ft. She landed on her upper half of her body making half a flip, and landing on her back.

**Author's Note: **_I watched Reveil this morning and was disappointed that all Gibbs did was shoot Haswari in the shoulder when he could have been helping Kate through tough times. So I invented a little bit of a different ending…hope you enjoy please read and review…_

_Brit -x0x-_


	2. The belief

Beeepp Beeeppp Kate squinted her eyes; she was wondering what that annoying beeping sound was coming from. Then she remembered Ari! She opened her eyes and immediately shut them from the blinding light. She counted to 5 and gradually re-opened them. She took in the sights around her. She was in a hospital room, vitals monitor on her left, and an IV pole on her right. She followed the tube down her arm and ending at her wrist. She slowly slid her hand over her head and winced; she looked down and noticed a white hospital gown. She swore silently and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She immediately regretted it as white searing pain ran down her body spreading from her legs and traveled up her back. She put her fist in her mouth to stop her from screaming out in pain. At the moment the door swung open and Ducky strolled in.

His eyes widened when he saw her.

"Caitlin! You're awake, we've been worried, and Gibbs hasn't left your side from the minute you were admitted." Ducky said as he approached her bedside and helped her settle back down. He pressed the caller button at her side and pulled up the chair to her side.

Kate looked around and rubbed her fingers against her temples half in exhaustion and half out of frustration.

"You must be mistaken Ducky…That sounds like something McGee would do, or Abby, if I'm lucky Tony, but Gibbs all I'd expect from him is him coming over to ask me what I got on the case, what my leads are and if I completed the profile on that asshole Haswari." She sighed and looked out of the window as the nurse came in a smile on her face.

"It's nice to see you awake Special Agent Todd, you went through a lot 3 days ago." Kate looked over at her in bewilderment. Kate watched as the nurse maneuvered herself around Ducky to check on the IV and her vitals.

"What exactly did I go through?" The nurse looked over at her and sat on the corner of her bed and sighed lightly.

"From what I heard and read from your dossier, you sustained 2 bruised ribs, a battered back, and a concussion to the head. You've been out for 3 days." The nurse exited the room and Kate sighed.

"You truly don't believe that Jethro's sole purpose in life to ride your behinds for answers do you?" He asked looking deeply in her mocha brown eyes. She teared up a bit and turned her head towards the window and shifted her body as well so that Ducky faced her back.

Ducky sighed and got to his feet and headed out the room when he looked back and saw Kate's body shake as she chocked out a sob. He ran a hand through his head and closed his eyes as he exited the room. He bumped into Gibbs on his way to the front desk.

"I heard Kate woke up, how is she?" He said as he shuffled his way past him towards her room.

"I wouldn't go in there at the minute Jethro." Ducky said as he made his way to the coffee machine counter across the lobby.

Gibbs cocked an eyebrow, shot a gaze towards her darkened room and followed Ducky to where he poured a cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup.

"And why should I ask shouldn't I?" He asked leaned on the counter as he himself poured himself a cup drinking it straight black as Ducky poured two packets of sweetener and a little bit of cream.

"Because Jethro, she's under the distinct impression that the only reason you're here is to ask her for her profile on Ari." Gibbs's jaw dropped practically to the floor the minute the words went through his brain.

He was speechless, his mouth opened then closed like a fish on land and he walked towards her room long forgetting the cup of coffee.

**Author's Note: **_A little bit of Angst on the way but as all of you may know me I'm a huge Kibbs fan so of course expect the best lol_

_Brit -x0x-_


	3. The facts

Chp.3

Gibbs walked into the room and rubbed his eyes a little bit at the darkness. He sighed loudly as he took the chair Ducky had vacated and sat in it. He ran both his hands down his face as he stared at her back. He was more the aroused when he saw the opening of her gown show her golden flesh beneath the stale white gown.

"Kate…Katie turn around, I know you're not sleeping Ducky told me what you said to him." He said as he leaned on the bed a little and saw her body stiffen. He heard her sigh and she slowly rolled over. In the middle of the trial she stiffened a bit and she resumed turning all the way to face him.

"He tells you everything does he?" She said raising her voice as the tone grew harsher. "Nothing stays sacred around here, SOME FAMILY!" She yelled she shut her eyes to stop the assailing tears to slide down the slope of her cut cheek.

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose and kept his eyes shut.

"Why would you think that the only reason I came here was for your profile on Ari?" He said solemnly.

She turned away from him again so he wouldn't see her tears.

"Because it's true..._it was suicide by cop Kate! Get over it! _Remind you of someone…sir?" She spat out the last half which caused Gibbs to cringe.

"I guess I deserved that." He said, he got up and walked around the bed to face Kate.

She sighed impatiently and went to turn around again when Gibbs sat beside her and held her hand. She stared at it but looked away seconds later. "You have to understand that the only way I did that was because I knew you could take it. Tony would turn away and not speak to anyone all day, and McGee would walk off and not face anyone for the whole week. You would shrug and threaten to burn down my boat with me in it." She laughed mockingly and opened her eyes.

"You ever think that when I shot that boy it made a huge impact on my life!" She yelled again and sat up; Gibbs got up as well and held out a hand for her to lean on. She pushed it lightly away and held on to her bedding as she sat up on her pillows. She stared down at her hands and gazed at the dirt smudges on her hands. She rolled over, conscious of her injuries and rang the buzzer.

Gibbs stared at the shut window and opened it to let in a light breeze and gazed out looking out towards the downtown area. _How could she think that? I'm not that much of a bastard…am I?_

A nurse came in announcing her presence when she found Kate in a little reverie staring at the man near the window, her expression hurt and broken.

"What can I do for you Ms. Todd?" She asked pulling her red hair out of her face. Kate cringed when she saw the woman's gorgeous locks; everyone knew Gibbs was a sucker for a redhead, which was nothing new.

Gibbs turned around and walked to where Kate was sitting and sat on the edge of the bed starring at the nurse.

Kate took a tentative glace to Gibbs and noticed he was watching the foxy redhead, but not out of lust but out of annoyance.

"I was wondering if a basin of water and washcloth I could use…I don't like to stay dirty this long." Kate said as she drew a smile from both the nurse and Gibbs's lips.

"Certainly, would you like me too help you or would you prefer your husband to do it?" It was an innocent question on her part but it got Kate and Gibbs redder then a rose. Kate's cheeks were tinged and burning up while Gibbs coughed embarrassed.

"We're not together, and that's quite alright I prefer doing it myself." Kate said in half a hushed voice.

The nurse nodded an apologetic smile and exited the room closing the door behind her. Gibbs ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily, he really screwed up big time. How could he let it get this bad?

"Kate I-" He started but shut his mouth when Abby bounced in the room unannounced and flew to Kate's side.

"Kate how are you doing, I was the last one to get the news, because somebody with silver hair and is addicted to caffeine didn't tell me, and Tony just happened to fill me in, he's at the video store getting us all a movie by the way." She gave a pointed glare in Gibbs direction and he left the room speechless and heartbroken.

Kate made room for Abby beside her and Abby happily but warily laid down next to her and brought the covers over to under her chin. Kate smiled as they both watched the ceiling in a comfortable silence.

"Abs?" She asked as she shifted her head a little to face the gothic lab tech. Abby took off her spike necklace and un-did her ponytails and put the accessories on the chair and turned on her side to face Kate.

"Yup?" She quipped and she shifted her weight. Kate let her eyes wander a little embarrassed and looked out the window.

"You think Gibbs…you know…" She stopped as she felt her cheeks heat up and redden.

Abby smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Diggs yah, finds you hot, wants you, shall I go on?" She smiled at Kate's increasement of embarrassment.

The nurse came back in and giggled when she noticed both women in the bed whispering like good friends sharing a secret.

"Here's the basin you asked for Special Agent Todd." She posed the bowl on the small table and let the cloth drop on the ridge of it.

"Thank you Grace, you can call me Kate by the way, and this is Abby." Grace smiled her 'hi' and turned to exit her room. "I'll be right back with her dinner; I'll knock when I come back." She smiled again and left the room. Kate looked over at Abby and they laughed out loud until they practically had tears coming out of their eyes.

"You're right, those can't be real. Anyway why did you want the water?" She helped Kate sit up as she posed her chipped-black fingered nails on Kate's lower stomach to help her stand.

"I wanted to clean myself I don't like the feeling of dirt this long." She said as she made her way to the table and dipped the cloth in the luke-warm water, wrung it out and ran it over her face. She moaned at the feeling and moved down to her arms and scrubbed thoroughly. Abby made her way to the edge of the bed and dug her hand in her pocket and brought out her nail polish tube and unscrewed the top.

"He does by the way." Abby said dipping the brush in the black polish and stroked the brush across her nail.

Kate paused in cleaning and re-dipped the face cloth in the bowl, taking a few seconds and she turned around to face her.

"Who does what Abs?"

"Gibbs…he does Diggs yah, finds you hot, and wants you and so on."

"How do you know?"

"Come on you actually believe he'd be here if he didn't. Well he'd be here but he wouldn't stay here the whole time, refusing to eat, sleep or build his boat." Abby said as she switched hands and resumed painted her nails again.

For once in her life Kate was speechless she shot one quick look towards the door and bit her lip.

"And if my memory serves me correctly, you want him too right?" Abby said as a mischievous smiled overcame her dark red lips. Kate sighed and finished up washing herself and wrung the towel out and folded it on the bowl and made her way back to the bed.

"I don't know when it happened, at Air Force One I was immediately attracted in him, the next day it dwindled, a month later it came back, then when he made-out with that blonde Petty-Officer in his basement it died again, I thought I was over him, I mean I should have been over him, but when the whole Ari thing arose it came back stronger then ever and no matter how hard I try it won't go away." She sighed and sat next to Abby and leaned her head on her shoulder. Abby, touched by the sentiment smile and put her head on Kate's.

They stayed there together just thinking when there was a knock at the door. Kate got up, minding her injuries and opened it. She smiled when McGee flung his arms around her and lightly hugged her. She giggled and returned the hug. McGee handed her the vase of orchids barring a shy smile.

"I love them Timmy, come in we were just about to put on a movie."

**Author's Note: **_Rummaged through my documents and found this already completed lol hope you like it as well as the others._

_Brit -x0x-_


	4. Rekindled

**Chap 5 **

Everyone all sat comfortably in the layout of the room; Abby never leaving Kate's side sat under the covers beside Kate who was also sitting in her bed had the recliner up and was leaning against her fluffy pillows. Tony sat at her right, directly at her elbow, Ducky was at the recliner in the far corner in a deep discussion with Gibbs and McGee was sitting at the tip of the bed.

"And why did you pick this movie?" Kate asked as she turned towards Tony who was leaning on the chair intently staring at the screen.

"Are you kidding? Harrison Ford is awesome in this," he exclaimed as everyone turned their heads towards the screen as they watched Harrison Ford board Air Force One.

Abby smirked as she looked at Tony and Kate go along their regular banter, it was a good sign, he was so withdrawn when Kate was not at work, now he seemed to glow like a kid on his first Christmas morning.

Gibbs looked from the screen to over at Kate who was beaming in the love of her friends. He only wished he could shoe her how much she meant to him in a way she couldn't blame his actions on.

"Why am I the way I am Ducky?" he asked a little confused at his own character change.

Ducky regarded his old friend with a calming eye, he never saw Gibbs act this way and it disturbed him greatly.

"What can you possibly mean Jethro? You've been that way for 19 years, you've earned respect from your peers-"

"I don't want respect I want…" he stopped himself before saying it out loud; he ran a hand through his silvering hair and turned towards the screen again as they watched Air Force One being highjacked.

"What is it you want Jethro?" the ME asked gently as he turned towards his conflicted friend.

"I don't know anymore Duck," he murmured as he got up from his chair and walked out the door of Kate's room and gently closed the door behind him.

Kate followed his retreating form with silent and sad eyes.

Later on that night when everyone had left and the nightshift had been well on its way Kate stared at the ceiling in her darkened room. She sighed as she looked over her shoulder and smiled sadly as she saw Gibbs's sleeping form hunched over the recliner with his head resting on Kate's knee.

She felt so conflicted, he never left her side for a minute, yet when they were alone she would always punish him with her daft beliefs and merciless words. For that she felt horrible. As she gazed in his deep face she brought her hand slowly up to his face and traveled his jaw line from his ear to his mouth before she slowly traced his worry line above his eyes. She was so engrossed in this that she had not noticed Ducky standing in the doorway; leaning on the doorframe regarding their female Agent with a smile.

"You love him don't you?" the voice came from the doorway. In haste she withdrew her hand and watched embarrassed as Ducky came on the other side of the bed and slid the vacant chair to her side.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked with a small smile as she looked over at her boss's sleeping face then turned back to her loyal mentor.

All he did was smile warmly; it explained more the words that he saw right through her when it came for her affections towards her boss.

"It's just that I don't know what to do with it…I'm usually okay around him, I mean I can control myself but lately it's just that every time I see him it's like I push him further and further away," she said as she stared at her hands as if they were strangers to him.

"You cannot be more wrong my dear Caitlin," he cooed silently took her hand in his and squeezed gently.

She regarded him in a matter that was painted with confusion and he smiled. "You cannot be more wrong, everyday I looked at Gibbs he finds a reason to come to work, before you came along everyone noticed that he was slowly burning out, he found more and more refuge in his basement then he would with his friends, but then you came in the picture and it all changed, he began to loosen up, enjoy working again and most importantly he began to live again, you have no idea what you do to him Caitlin," he said as they both looked at the man lightly snoring on her knee.

"But I thought he never broke his rules," she said lamely trying to prolong her defenses I little bit longer.

"Those precious rules he follows you mean? He only invented rule 12 when you started working, he didn't want to hurt you my dear, he has 3 failed marriages on his back and relationships based on his feeling," he explained patiently as he watched her eyes brighten with tears lacing her eyes. She pressed her palm to her eyes so tightly when she relented she saw spots before she let herself fall into her pillows and shrug the covers up to her chin.

"Goodnight Caitlin," he murmured as he posed a small kiss on her forehead and slowly made his way towards the door before looking back and seeing Kate stare down at the man she grew to love during the years.

He gave her a small smile and left as silently as he had came, leaving the young woman to her thoughts.

She had stayed up most of the night watching her boss sleep. She turned towards the window and watched as stars twinkled in the midnight sky that she didn't realize Gibbs's staring at her.

"You okay?" he said as his voice was laced with heavy sleep.

She whirled around and came face to face with the man that had captured her heart.

"Couldn't sleep, sorry if I woke you," she whispered not looking at him ashamed at herself.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sat up straight in his char and looked at her.

"Katie?" he asked trying to get her attention. She sniffed back tears as she met his crystal blue eyes as he thumbed away the tears slowly cascading down her porcelain face.

"I'm sorry Gibbs's I didn't mean the things I said earlier…I was…" she started but Gibbs placed an index on her lips to silence her.

"I want to apologize Katie, I was being a bastard, I deserved the cold shoulder, hell I've been given you one all week," she sniffed again as she looked at him through teary eyes as he slid his hand through hers. "Truth is I didn't want to hurt you, I can't bare the thought of me bringing you to tears, I'm sorry I put you through hell Katie, you can't even begin to think how sad I would be if you left me," he said as he drew himself closer to her.

She moved over a little to give him room and drew back the covers so he could climb in. He obliged and snuggled down beside her where she placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes so that the tears would relent their assault.

"I should have told you earlier Gibbs, the reason I couldn't stab Ari was because I was too much in shock of what he said he would do," she whispered between hiccups.

"He could do nothing Kate, I wouldn't let him hurt you, touch you or even cough on you without me on his back," he said lightly.

Kate smile a little then snuggle a little closer to her boss. Gibbs watched her closely as her eyes closed and her breathing evened out before he felt her hot breathing at the nape of his neck.

"I'm sorry for hurting you Katie, you don't know how much you mean to me, I get up every day in the hopes that I will be gifted a smile, a joke even a minute of your day. I love you Katie," he said before gently posing a small kiss on her lips before tugging away and closing his eyes.

"I love you too Jethro," she whispered in her sleep and she gently kissed his neck and draped her hand on his chest. Gibbs smiled for the first time this week and brought her a little closer, aware of her injuries and they fell asleep together.

FIN


End file.
